


The Value of a Life

by TeaRoses



Category: Trigun
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-03
Updated: 2010-03-03
Packaged: 2017-10-07 16:49:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/67094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaRoses/pseuds/TeaRoses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vash and Wolfwood have the usual argument.  Rated for mild violence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Value of a Life

The first sun was setting when Wolfwood heard the scream. Vash headed straight out the door and Nick had to run to keep up.

"That sounded like it came from the store," said Vash.

"Are they robbing that place again?" asked Wolfwood. "I'm surprised there's a double dollar left in the cash register at this rate."

Just as he said it, four men ran by on the other side of the street. One was shooting a gun into the air and another was carrying a sack.

"It's them," yelled Vash, turning immediately to give chase.

"Such a gift for the obvious," muttered Nick, once again panting to catch up to Vash's stride.

Vash fired into the air and yelled at the men to stop. The four seemed to panic, and ran off the street into the next possible opening, which Nick knew was a blind alley. He was glad that this would at least be over quickly. Nick was certain Vash could handle something like this himself, but there were four of them, so Nick prepared to help anyway, just in case.

He got to the alley's entrance and saw that Vash was dodging bullets. Unwrapping the cross punisher, Nick took his place at his side.

Three of the men appeared to be armed, but as Nick watched, Vash had already taken care of one of them, with a well aimed shot at his gun hand. The other two were cursing with each shot, clearly doubting their ability to win against this red-coated gunman. The fourth, a man in a blue coat, hung back.

As Nick grabbed a pistol to join in the fight, he suddenly felt a stinging pain in his shoulder. He saw a knife handle protruding from his jacket. When he looked up again, the man in the blue coat was readying another knife to throw. Acting nearly on reflex, Nick shoved the cross punisher in front of himself. The next knife stuck in that rather than in his body.

He was able to draw his gun and aim at the man in the blue coat now. "Hit him in the arm or the leg," he thought. "Or you'll get the 'Thou shalt not kill' speech all night.

Nick managed to hit his throwing arm and then his leg, and the man crumpled to the ground. Two of his companions had already fallen. As Nick watched, Vash disarmed the last man by shooting the gun out of his hand.

Vash ran to the fallen men to check their injuries. Nick stared after him and pulled the knife out of his own shoulder. His face didn't show his pain but he didn't bother hiding his disgust.

He leaned against the wall behind him, watching as Vash commandeered first aid and bandaged some of the wounds himself. The robbers seemed completely humbled by their experience with Vash the Stampede. They went off willingly in handcuffs when the sheriff arrived. Meanwhile the tearful storeowner hugged Vash in gratitude. Nick turned away and lit a cigarette.

Finally Vash was at Nick's side, taking off his jacket. Nick didn't speak but did let him proceed. As Vash unbuttoned his shirt, he closed his eyes and recalled other times that he had performed that same act. When Vash was winding the bandage around his shoulder, Nick finally spoke.

"I took a knife for you, and you made sure they got help first?"

"They had bullet wounds," said Vash solemnly.

Nick shrugged his shirt on, again refusing to wince with pain.

"A knife wound isn't exactly a party game, Vash. And then I had to worry about keeping him from throwing another one without killing him."

"You know that we can't kill," said Vash.

"Who's this we?" asked Nick.

Vash put a hand on his forearm. "We. Us. Do you really not know what I mean?"

"Just because I sleep in your bed doesn't mean I have to subscribe to  
your damned philosophy," replied Nick.

"I thought you of all people would understand," said Vash.

"Because I'm a preacher? We've been through that too many times."

"No, because you remind me of her."

Nick threw the cigarette on the ground and crushed it with his foot.

"In what way?" he asked.

"You care about people. You cared about me from when we first met. And when you talk about those kids back in December, your face lights up just like hers used to."

"Great," muttered Nick. So if I mean that much to you, why did you let me wait while you bandaged those scumbags?

"I already told you that. And we don't know a thing about why they robbed the store. It could be that they were starving."

"So the storekeeper should starve instead?" asked Nick.

"No," said Vash. "That's why we chased them down and got the money back-"

"That's why you chased them down and got the money back. I was just along for the ride."

"So you would have just let the store be robbed if you had been here by yourself?" asked Vash.

"No, probably not," Nick replied. "But I wouldn't have been so careful about where I shot them."

"So people deserve the death penalty for stealing?"

"Vash, you make my head hurt."

Though Vash was grinning now, Nick was still angry.

"What I want to know," said Nick, "is if my life is worth more than the lives of those guys."

"No one's life is worth more than anyone else's life."

Nick gave up. Vash would never convince him and he would never understand Vash. He was pretty sure that he personally, in some way, meant more to Vash than a strange criminal did. But he would not lower himself to ask for reassurance. He would content himself with the fact that physically they were together, even if their minds ran on different paths.

"Come on, Vash, dinner," he said finally.

Vash smiled, and if there was anything fake in this smile, Nick let it go.


End file.
